I wrote a few days ago about sno-balls and New Orleans. The inexpensive desert is contrived of shaved ice and topped with a sweet syrup. Other ingredients including condensed milk and soft serve ice cream vary from stand to stand as does the quality of the ice, sharpness of the blades and number of flavors (you can get a local to talk about who has the best ingredients for at least five minutes straight).

If there is still any confusion about the topic, you can always check in a sno-ball sommelier. Yep, you read that right. The Ritz-Carlton is offering a new treat for their guests every Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.; a custom crafted sno-ball made of nectar cream and condensed milk. There will also be a crawfish concierge on hand to demonstrate the proper way to peel the little buggers. All activities take place in the hotel courtyard and they probably won't ask to see a room key ... you know, in case you've misplaced it.

*After much too much contemplation over the matter, I have chosen to spell "sno-ball" with a hyphen just as it is spelled over at Gumbo Pages -- otherwise I am reminded of the projectiles that my brother throws at my head every Christmas in VT. Other spelling variations include "sno ball", "snowball" and "snow ball."